Support CTC Portsmouth's campaign to complete a cycle route along the A3

Brave Cyclist on A3 Trunk Dual Carriageway Butser

Support CTC Portsmouth's campaign to complete a cycle route along the A3

For many years now members of CTC Portsmouth, lead by local campaigners Robert Sebley and Mike Ashton, have been campaigning for a cycle route through the A3 Butser cutting. Now is your chance to support them by signing their petition.

In the early 1990s the A3 road north from the A3(M) was replaced by a dual carriageway that, for the vast majority of cyclists, does not offer an acceptable safety level. The Highways Agency built cycle tracks alongside the A3, south from Queen Elizabeth Country Park to North Horndean and from Petersfield to Liphook. A map of the area can be found here.

The critical section for cyclists, through the Butser Cutting, was left without cycle provision, which meant the loss of a primary cycling route across Hampshire’s South Downs. Over 10 years of campaigning by a large number of cyclists has so far failed to get this unacceptable road design rectified.

According to official statistics, in 2010 this section of the A3 had over 47,000 motor vehicles per day travelling along it, and only 3 cyclists.

Parts of the old A3 road still remain and this has provided an obvious basis for an off road cycle route, however the Highways Agency has until now refused to embrace this proposal. But now have started to softened their stance.

The purpose of the petition is to create political pressure for the allocation of funds for feasibility and implementation. The petition can be signed at Queen Elizabeth Country Park Centre, you can find out more and also sign the petition on-line. So far they've managed to get over 2,000 signatures in both paper and electronic form!

Hampshire County Council has received almost £4m to improve access by sustainable travel to the New Forest and South Downs National Parks and will be considering the Butser route as one of the potential projects to fund.

If you have any pictures that give a good indication of the value of the Old A3 or to find out more please contact righttoride@ctc.org.uk

Please show your support!

Please see the latest update on the Portsmouth Campaign, surveyors are verifying parts of the route